The Sneakers Worth Making Room for in Your Closet

A good sneaker earns its place in the closet by working with more than one outfit. The pairs in this edit range from On's lifestyle designs to heritage classics, designer standouts and technical styles, drawn from Net-A-Porter, Mytheresa and SSENSE.

 

Begin with On. The Cloudtilt Moon, Cloud 6, Cloudzone Moon and Cloud X 4 AD are the everyday pairs, the Cloudmonster Void comes in black and white, and Loewe's Cloudtilt Premium and Cloudtilt Cosmic made with On are the designer versions.

 

For outfits built around the best of these, read The Sneakers Fashion Girls Are Wearing Everywhere Right Now.

The flat, slim sneaker is the most versatile shape in the closet. It works with wide-leg jeans, tailored trousers and skirts, and it has a heritage in football, running and skating.

 

adidas Originals' Samba LT and Samba OG, New Balance's 204L, Puma's Speedcat Ballet, Nike's Air Rift, Vans' LX Authentic 44, Golden Goose's Ball Star and Autry's Windspin Low are the pairs to know.

A designer sneaker should be made well enough to justify its place. Choose suede, shearling or fine leather, and a shape that suits a trouser as easily as a skirt.

 

Saint Laurent's Lewis, Jil Sander's low-top made with Puma, Fendi's Match, Acne Studios' lace-up leather sneakers and Jacquemus' The Tennis are the clean options. The Row's Clement suede sneakers are the quiet option. Brunello Cucinelli's Monili shearling-trimmed pair and Isabel Marant's Beth are the warmer and more distinctive choices.

The chunkier shoes are the most comfortable, and they have become an easy way to add some attitude to a plain outfit. Look for a trail-inspired sole and a muted palette.

 

Salomon's XT-6, Moncler's Trailgrip Apex, New Balance's 1890 Abzorb and Keen's Jasper are the technical ones, while Balenciaga's Radar and Jet, Brunello Cucinelli's shearling-trimmed leather sneakers and Marc Jacobs' 400 Bleecker Runner are the fashion versions.

A red sneaker is the easiest way to add colour to a neutral outfit. Wear a pair with grey denim, a camel coat or an all-black outfit, and let the shoes be the one bright thing.

 

Dries Van Noten's red suede sneakers, Isabel Marant's Senny, Nike's Cortez and Veja's Magliano Panenka are the classic shapes. Max Mara's shearling-lined pair, Jimmy Choo's Sunny, Bottega Veneta's Orbit and On's Cloudmonster 1 come in deeper burgundy.

The right sneaker is only half the story. Straight and wide-leg trousers, a good pair of jeans and a soft knit are the easiest outfit to build around any of these pairs.

 

Our Legacy's Rover Cut jeans, The Row's Imma jeans and Agolde's Low Curve jeans are the denim. Nili Lotan's Shon barrel-leg pants and Khaite's Dugan pleated pants are the trousers, with Toteme's cotton-twill jacket, YMC's Nova zip cardigan and Joseph's Belper cashmere sweater on top.

Start with the shape you will wear most, a low-profile pair for everyday or a chunkier one for walks, and build outward. A well-chosen second pair makes the first one work harder.

 

For more sneaker ideas, read When High Fashion Meets High Performance and The New Rules of Tenniscore.